


Chipped, Scuffed, Just Generally Roughed Up.

by Citron0



Series: SU Movie Alternate Takes [2]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Burns, Gen, Ouch, Self-Sacrifice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-03
Updated: 2019-10-03
Packaged: 2020-11-22 06:27:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,074
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20869685
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Citron0/pseuds/Citron0
Summary: Just trying a concept out.One-shot.Essentially, Steven could only save Spinel from the explosion of her injector. The combination of the explosion and the fall crack his gem.





	Chipped, Scuffed, Just Generally Roughed Up.

**Author's Note:**

> uwu, I'm back at it again.  
Might do a part 2, but it doesn't need it.  
Alternate title: "In the Blast Radius."

> "I used to just be _not good enough for Pink_." Her fists continued to pound into Steven's shield, reverberating like a gong. The shock waves descended deeper and deeper into the spinel-esque gem on the top of the injector.
> 
> "**Now**, _**now**_," the ground they stood on splintered and cracked to the core, "_I'm not good **at all**!"_
> 
> Spinel started to laugh, expended of all anger, "That's _funny_, right?" Her hands returned to their normal size and she sunk deeper into the crater she made just moments before.
> 
> "At least _you_ found me entertaining. You actually liked me," tears slid down her face, "Didn't you?"
> 
> She opened her eyes and looked at her gloves, "_What am I doing?_" She covered her face in her hands, "_Why_ do I want to hurt you so bad?" All Steven could do was stare, concerned.
> 
> Face still buried, she continued, "I'm supposed to be your friend," revealing her eyes, she states, voice quaking, "_I just want to be your friend_." Steven shrunk his shield more and more until it retreated into his gem entirely; Spinel was baffled.
> 
> The only word Steven could get out before geysers of light flooded their vision was:
> 
> "_Spinel_."

Steven panicked, they only had seconds before the injector would burst. He grabbed Spinel by the arm, he could survive the blast; he was a Diamond, she was not. He clenched his eyes shut as he threw her as hard as he could into the ocean.

His body tensed up as he was consumed in a pink blaze of light.

It spread out in all directions, reminiscent of a star. His hands, face, neck and exposed elbow burned like he had been dunked in Bismuth's lava, his bubble activated a half a second too late.

Distantly, he heard Spinel scream his name, but nothing could trump the ringing in his ears. The massive mushroom cloud completely hid Steven from sight, scaring all those close enough to see it.

The bubble popped in mid-air due to Steven's fatigue and the ferocity of the blast. Upon impact, Steven slammed into the ground; he heard a _crunch_ when he landed on the scorched earth amidst the wreckage, and no doubt got whiplash from it. His whole body felt like it was still ablaze.

He tried to sit up only to find out he couldn't, he would've groaned in agony had not all the wind been knocked out of him.

* * *

Spinel ran towards him as if her life depended on it. She turned him off of his stomach, "Oh _nonononono_, _what did_ _I_ **_do_**?"

"Rotcejni ruoy ffo nrut ot yaw eno s'taht, llew."

She pulled up Steven's shirt to get a closer look at his gem: there was a huge crack coming from the center._ This was all her fault, _she ruminated_._

"Steven?" She heard voice calling out to Steven, a girl's? It didn't sound like any of the gems she interacted with, maybe that human girl that was in Steven's house?

'Oh, everyone's going to be _so_ _mad_. I've **wrecked** _everything_!'

"I'm sorry." She told the injured hybrid. Steven's eyes were yellow and glossy, he couldn't see much beyond Spinel all else was shrouded in a thick ring of darkness.

He had paled considerably yet his skin still held its soft pink, "Oot tsalb eht ni thguac t'nerew uoy dalg m'I, Lenips."

"Steven? Where are you?"

"Einnoc! Einnoc?" He waved in the opposite direction he wanted to, '_Weird_.'

Spinel helped him up, "Can you heal yourself like this, Steven?" He popped his pinky into his mouth, 'His eyes aren't yellow anymore; that's good,' she noted.

"Here," she propped him up on her shoulders, "Let's get you to your friend before you get any worse."

* * *

"We saw that huge explosion and-," she froze noticing how pale Steven was. Lion grabbed him with his teeth and put him on his back.

She turned to Spinel, suddenly enraged, "What did **you** do to him!?"

"He-he saved me, despite everything. He couldn't save us both and he chose me over himself."

Connie sighed, "Sounds like Steven."

Spinel passed Steven to her, "Og t'nod, Lenips!"

* * *

Greg's van pulled up beside Connie. The back doors opened releasing Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl; Greg opened his side door as soon as he parked.

"Steven!" They shouted simultaneously.

The gems huddled around him, concerned.

Garnet spoke first, "Everyone's okay, Steven." Her future vision soothed Steven, he sighed in relief. Only he had gotten hurt, that was good.

His vision focused on Greg whose mauve arm dangled, limp, "Mra ruoy! Dad!"

He followed his son's gaze, "My arm? What about your gem!?" This inquiry put everyone on edge. Amethyst adjusted his shirt, Pearl gasped.

'He must've fallen directly on it.' Pearl deduced in mild shock. To think it was possible to crack a _Diamond's_ gem.

"Don't worry about me, I just got a little careless-," Steven stuck his pinky in his mouth again as Greg continued, "But, Steven, you don't have your-," Steven poked his dad's arm, a wave of glimmering pink light blanketed it for less than a second.

"Steven!" He held is hand in front of his face, "You got your powers back!" He shifted his gaze to Steven, with his charred hair and singed eyebrows, "Quick, use it on your gem before something happens!"

Steven's arm moved downwards when he intended to go upwards, backwards when he wanted it to go forwards, and left when instead of right.

"Huh?" Was all he could muster.

Amethyst grabbed his arm, "Here, dude, I'll do it." She proceeded to press his hand on his tongue and slap it on to his gem.

"Gently, Amethyst!" Pearl scolded out of worry.

At first nothing happened, then, not unlike Greg's arm, his gem flashed, gleaming white as his gem repaired itself.

He sighed and fell on his back, the gems and Connie joined him in that position.

'Now, what to do about the poison?' Spinel had done quite a number on the place. His fixed gem peeked out from under his shirt, 'Oh, yeah!'

"Steven, don't kiss the ground, it's filthy!" Vegetation sprung to life at his lips.

"Oh my gosh!"

"Looks like I've got a lot of kissing to do." He rolled up his sleeves, this was going to take a while.

"Should we lend him a hand?"

"We should_ probably_ get him some water."

Amethyst brought him in for a noogie, "Yeah, can't have Steven getting _dehydrated_, now can we?"

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, Steven's liver did begin to fail after he plummeted into the soil.  



End file.
